Green Arrow Short Stories
by FairladyZ2005
Summary: Short stories featuring Team Arrow at different points in continuity and a few that aren't. Guest starring some Bats, Lanterns, and other DC heroes. Each chapter is a complete story. Updated as more ideas strike. Ratings may vary from chapter to chapter.
1. Chapter 1: Stranger at the Door

Disclaimer: DC owns Team Arrow and all it's various members. I don't. Please don't sue.

Stranger at the Door

The man in front of her was not Gran'pa Ollie. He said he was Gran'pa. He sounded like Gran'pa. But Lian knew the truth.

His face was all wrong! He was an imposter. A clone. A shapeshifter. It was the only explanation.

The man said for her not to be afraid, to come closer. Lian screamed.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" Her Daddy came running and stopped dead. "Ollie?!? Oh my God!"

"Not you too Roy!" A clean shaven Oliver Queen stood in front of them. "Dinah was right." He signed. "I promise to grow the beard back, princess. Is all forgiven?"

Notes: Just some Ollie/Lian fluff. I remember the first time my dad grew a goatee when I was about Lian's age. I freaked and hated it until he shaved it off a couple days later. I thought the reverse would be cute for Ollie even if Lian isn't fond of "scruffy kisses" sudden change can be very traumatic for little kids.


	2. Chapter 2: Broken Bow

Ollie's thoughts as he smashes his bow at the end of Zero Hour.

Broken Bow

Wood and string.

That's what it took to save the multiverse.

Wood and string…and death by my hand. Because I never miss when I shoot to kill. Never.

Hal killed millions! He was a murderer!

So what does that make me? How many lives have I taken since that night Dinah…

They say Hal was crazy. But we both lost our way. We used to be heroes! We crossed the line!

Forgive me, Hal. It had to end for both of us tonight. Only one last sacrifice to make.

_Ker-smash! _

Green Lantern and Green Arrow.

Never again.

Yea. We own.

Notes: I adore the friendship of Ollie and Hal! It's so deep and in this case becomes a lynchpin that the entire DCU hangs on. I found most of Zero Hour to be a confusing mess but Ollie being forced to kill is best friend was such a moving moment it almost brought me to tears.


	3. Chapter 3: Breaking Glass

Ollie's thoughts set during Green Lantern Rebirth when Ollie encounters you know who just after Kyle falls.

"In Case of Emergency – Break Glass!"

I used to remember his oath. Back when beat up trucks mattered and we knew we were the good guys.

Now I don't have a prayer in Hell.

But I've always had the willpower not to lie down and die. No one talks that way about my best friend you freak!

I do what I've always done – aim straight and true with the ring left to me by the greatest Green Lantern of all.

PAIN! My heart ripped out along the guided flightpath!

One stubborn arrow hits its mark dead center!

It should kill! It's not enough!

Not against Sinestro.

Notes: I was fascinated when Meltzer's brought up the idea of Hal giving Ollie a GL ring in Archer's Quest "in case of emergency…" I was even more thrilled to find out Ollie actually got to use the ring in GL Rebirth. I knew I had to read it! Ollie vs. Sinestro is my favorite part of the whole story (well that and the moment we see Hal return and all five GLs reciting the oath), but I think it's a quintessential moment for the Emerald Archer. Ollie knows he can't win, but he'll never say die and he still has faith in Hal, what a beautiful admission from the friend who was forced to kill him and a perfect counterpoint to Hal's "death" in Zero Hour. Did I mention how much I love Hal & Ollie!


	4. Chapter 4: Little Secrets

Set shortly after Archer's Quest.

Little Secrets

I blame my parents. It's their fault really. They should have known the impact it would have on my life. What were they thinking?

Sure, Roy and I laugh about it now, but it wasn't always that way. The first time it happened, I hated it! I yelled! I probably threatened to smack him one too. Never say that again in my house!

Connor doesn't understand why I always refuse to mention it. Mia knows I'm hiding something.

Someday, they'll find out. I dread that day. The day they discover my middle name - Jonas.

Then O.J. Queen will live again.

Notes: More fluff and an attempt at a little misdirection. But what were Robert and Moira Queen thinking anyway? Poor O.J. ;-) And completely coincidentally, Jonas is the name of the actor who plays Robin Hood in the new BBC series, which is a very cool show.


	5. Chapter 5: A Guy Thing?

Dinah's P.O.V. Her thoughts set during GA #101 (Vol. 2). I don't have the full issue just the scenes reprinted in the GA/BC: For Better or For Worse trade so forgive any continuity errors.

A Guy Thing?

I don't understand why you left it behind…along with me.

And I'll never understand the choice you make on that plane. Were you so eager to die the hero, Ollie?

But then I met Connor – your son – not ours.

I gave him your bow. I saw the look in his green eyes, your eyes.

I foolishly called it 'a guy thing.'

I didn't realize you'd given Connor the only legacy you could – Green Arrow.

You can't hobble an archer and expect him to live.

The bow was your soul, Ollie.

And you left it with me for safekeeping, my love.

Notes: I like this one just because Dinah surprised me as I was writing it. I always loved that Ollie had the Robin Hood bow, but he never seemed to use it in actually combat which I found interesting, and got me thinking why. I also found it a little insulting that Dinah didn't seem to get why the bow was so important to Ollie and Connor, since being female myself I would have loved to have that bow! But more than that, Ollie is an archer and Dinah has commented on occasion how Ollie and Shado (and I would presume the other archers of Team Arrow) share a bond in the way of the bow that she never could. This ficlet was suppose to be about her not understanding that bond, but sometimes characters write themselves and Dinah surprised me in that last sentence. Maybe she does understand after all. J I shouldn't really expect anything less from Ollie's true love.


	6. Chapter 6: Compound, Recurve, or Other

Two archers. So many bows to choose from. Just an old conversation/argument between Roy and Ollie. Roy starts.

Compound, Recursive, or Other

"Training wheels?"

"She likes it, doesn't she?"

"Lian loves it. It's her favorite birthday present."

"Then what's the problem?"

"No problem. It's just…you hate training wheels. I thought you'd prefer she get tough, do it the hard way."

"This is different!"

"Different? How?"

"This is my granddaughter we're talking about!"

"Face it old man, you've gone soft."

"I have not – It's for her protection!"

"You don't want to see her get hurt any more than I do. Admit it! Sigh. She's growing up too fast."

"For goodness sake's Roy! It's only her first bicycle. I'm saving the longbow till Christmas."

Notes: Just another little piece of misdirection fluff. But it does make one wonder what type of bow Lian will choose someday. Personally, though I'm just a beginner, I refuse to use a bow with training wheels just like Ollie.


	7. Chapter 7: Broken Arrows

Warning: contains spoilers for Green Arrow/Black Canary #3 (and some swearing). I don't know what the next issue has in store, but this is my take on reactions to the cliffhanger ending so far. I decided to do this all as one chapter for impact.

Broken Arrows

Ollie:

It should have been me!

Goddamn it! IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME!

I've been dead. I'd go back if only he could be here instead of me.

My Pretty Bird wouldn't agree. She doesn't want to lose me too. But I walked out of Heaven for my boy.

A second chance, to know him, to be the father I always should have been.

The worst part is, everything really was "good this time" Connor.

My perfect boy. Gone.

I am a hunter. I will hunt down whoever did this! They will pay!

"Till the next lifetime, son." I love you.

Mia:

He's…

We'd gotten away! We were just standing there on the boat when…

Ollie's devastated. Dinah too.

Me? I know I could die anytime. I'm prepared for it. But Connor!?

Worst part…I think I loved him. Just a crush as first. Then he kissed me when I felt dirty inside. I don't think I've stopped loving him since.

Those days on the island after Ollie left, the way Connor smiled at me sometimes… Did he feel the same?

I'm not giving up Speedy, no matter what Ollie says! He can't protect me. But I can carry on…as G.A.'s daughter.

Dinah:

I hold my husband as we cry.

Husband. Yes! This is my family!

My children! Not by blood. Still…my daughters, my sons.

Now one of them of them is gone. I grieve a mother's pain. I will have a mother's vengeance!

My heart has been broken too often of late. One "death" too many. Only this one for real.

I know Ollie would kill those responsible. I can't let him become that man again – for the sake of our future, for Connor's memory.

I will do what I must to keep my family together! Don't separate a lioness and cub!

Roy: 

I should have been with them!

Did they think I was too busy? That the JLA needed me?

Don't they know family comes first!

I know Ollie's fears. I dread the day Lian's old enough to be Speedy. Could I ever let go enough? Would it even matter if your children are destined to choose this path?

I know the old man still worries like Hell about me, even as Red Arrow.

I had a brother! A brother I was only learning to know.

I was jealous on Connor once. Now, I don't want to bear the family legacy alone.

Kyle:

Sometimes, I wonder if I will ever stop living in Hal Jordan's shadow.

I was not the Green Lantern he was. No one understood.

Connor Hawke did.

And without intending it, Green Lantern and Green Arrow became best friends again.

I thought I would never understand Hal Jordan. Now, I lived through his nightmare as Parallax only to learn Green Arrow is dead – again.

My best friend is dead!

And I wonder how far would I go to bring Connor back?

What did Hal do for Ollie?

No.

What would Green Lantern do for Green Arrow?

I know that answer!

Notes: My way of dealing and venting I guess over Connor's death. What a waste of a good character! Still, it could provide for a good vengeance storyline for the rest of Team Arrow down the road. And yes I hope Kyle plays a big part in Connor's eventual resurrection somehow. Those black rings previewed in Green Lantern #25 sounds too tempting to resist.


	8. Chapter 8: The Mask of Batman

Remember the days when GA and Batman were actually friends and not ticked at each other all the time? Yeah, I miss those days too. So in honor of that I wrote this little conversation. Longer than a drabble, this one. But I needed something light after the last chapter. Ollie speaks first.

The Mask of Batman

"What did you think?"

"Banderas can act. Zeta-Jones was -"

"Sexy?"

"Well-cast."

"Let me guess. Banderas still can't hold a candle to Tyrone Power. You do know that movie was a rip off of Robin Hood right? Especially stealing half the cast with Eugene Pallette as Padre Felipe and Basil Rathbone as Capitan Esteban. A.K.A. Friar Tuck and the Sheriff of Nottingham."

"Whoever said I liked Power?"

"Fairbanks?"

_Silence._

"Really? Don't answer that. Given your gift for conversation it's no wonder you prefer silent films. Fairbanks played Robin Hood too y'know."

"It wasn't as good."

"I know. But Fairbanks still can't top Errol Flynn anyway. And don't you of all people start making jokes about men in tights."

"Wouldn't dream if it."

"You may play all dark and moody but when it comes to our inspirations we're both cut from the same mould. I'm just closer to the source material is all. Not to mention - Oh my God! Are you actually smiling?"

"It was a good movie. Thanks for coming, Oliver. But remember - "

"I know, I know. Not a word to anyone or you'll carve a 'B' in me deeper than Zorro ever did to his victims."

"Clark and Diana wouldn't appreciate the classics like you do."

"Ha! Let alone the Martian. But you're welcome Bruce."

"And for the record…Guy Williams is my favorite."

Notes: Confession – I love Robin Hood and Robin Hood inspired heroes! I think it's why I love Batman and GA so much because they are cut from that mould of non-superpowered hero. Robin Hood inspired the creation of the Scarlet Pimpernel who inspired Zorro who inspired the Phantom who inspired Batman and Robin (named for you know who) who inspired Green Arrow who's a 20th century Robin Hood! So it all comes full circle! Not to mention we all know what Batman's favorite movie is, the Zorro one he was watching the night his parents died. But darned if I know which version that is supposed to be anymore since the version keeps getting updated every time Bats gets revamped (so I just chose my own personal favorite as Bruce's too). Anyway I'm sure Bats would have rushed out to see "Mask of Zorro" when it hit the theaters and who better to take with him than fellow movie buff, GA? Well, Dick maybe, but Ollie seemed a better fit in this case.


	9. Chapter 9: Good Genes

Dinah's p.o.v. Does Ollie have a meta power? Hmm.

Good Genes

There's a reason people call him the Emerald Archer.

'Cause Green Lantern's Light has nothing on Ollie's eyes.

Their shade defies description, especially when he turns them on me. Twinkling jade mischief. They pierce me like twin arrows every time. So alive, my Oliver.

I admit, I melt.

His boys can stun anyone with the same green effect. That's how you know they're his boys – Robert, Connor,…then there's Roy. There's no explanation for it, but even Roy has his "father's" eyes too.

I sometimes wonder about our child to be…but I can always picture baby, green staring back at me.

Notes: Romantic fluff based off my favorite GA cover of all time – Vol. 3 # 1, I think, possibly a variant cover. I only have the trade paperback of Quiver so I may be a little off, but it's the extreme close up picture they have of eye and arrow that you can see on GA's wikipedia bio. It's gorgeous! I really hate when they mis-color his eyes. And I pray I'm right on Roy, since I've seen a lot of blue eye mis-coloring on him too.

GA/BC #4 made me cry, but I can't bring myself to write anything depressing yet. I'm full of half formed plot bunnies waiting to see how #5 resolves itself first. Please DC let them at least stay married!


	10. Chapter 10: Scars

Set in between GA/BC #4 & 5. Ollie's thoughts during one of his vigils over Connor.

Scars

My hand passes over the scar on Connor's chest. It amazes me how something so deadly, something that can leave my boy like this, can be so small…but it does leave evidence. Always a reminder of a battle you've won…or lost.

We all have scars.

I feel my own as Dinah stands behind me. I breathe in her perfume as she rubs her fingers over my shoulders and down to my heart. She tries not to show it, but she always lingers there a little too long.

That's when my body feels awkward, wrong, off by just a few millimeters. I remember another scar there from different arrow, and how naked I felt the first time I looked in a mirror after I came back from the grave and saw it gone. My new body was flawless, younger. But my scars made me who I am. So there's a strange comfort from still having one over my heart, but for the right reason this time. I took those two arrows defending my city – both right and left, Dinah's fingers remind me. I know she prefers these scars to the one there before.

It's seems like I'm into matching sets these days. I no longer look at Connor but my own hands. The damage healed over a year ago and my shots aren't impaired, but sometimes when the weather changes, my tendons still ache.

And the scars remain.

I used to feel it in my wrist that Dinah once snapped or the sensitive skin from chemical burns on my back. But that discomfort, like the body that it happened to is again, gone.

The pain remains.

It's the scars inside…the memories…the violation…the helplessness over what's been done to you…

I've felt my granddaughter's scars. I discovered them babysitting one night while getting her to take her bath. Just like Grace, Lian bore the mark of slave traders! I wanted to puke. I wanted to cry. Roy told me she had been kidnapped. He told me she had nightmares. He didn't tell me about her scars. Maybe it was too soon after his own to bear mentioning.

Five to the chest. Pointblank. Through body armor. I told Lian I have nightmares too about scars. But our nightmares aren't always about our own.

It was Roy then. It's Connor now.

We're a family of scarred hearts.

But we never give up hope. Not when we have those that love us…in spite of our scars…those that touch them and ease our pain.

I kiss an unblemished hand of my pretty bird, taking hers in my own. She amazes me with her flawless beauty. Every night in bed, all I feel is the smooth perfection of her body against my battle-beaten own. I know it's not a fair comparison. She possesses wounds on her heart too, only from the inside, with some of the biggest ones dealt by me.

But scars can fade in time, too. A reminder that we have survived and have grown stronger, wiser.

A shot though the heart can bring us together as much as tear us apart.

I don't know what the future holds with Connor…with anything…and I'm scared half to death. But right now with my family, my priority – I want the healing to begin.

Notes: Just a culmination of a bunch of ideas that came together out of the wounds Team Arrow has sustained over the years. I probably missed some and could have made it longer if I wanted, but didn't feel the need. But I liked doing more than a drabble this time. I tend to alternate between happy and sad fics, so my next one will probably be about the wedding – the real one!


	11. Chapter 11: Come Fly With Me

Set during Batman and the Outsiders #6. Flashbacks set sometime shortly after Legends of the DCU #7-9 collected in The Ring, the Arrow and the Bat.

"Come Fly With Me"

Now:

"You're a pilot? You know how to fly?" she asks me.

I mouth off something about the good old days of my Arrowplane and thinking I was Batman and that Katana and the others have nothing to worry about. But my confidence in the air has nothing to do with Bruce. Bruce knows where I learned my aerial training from. I hear Grace ask Brion why he doesn't fly under his own power. I can't help but smile at Geo-Force's answer. It was the same answer my "teacher" always had.

Then:

"You know how to fly?" he asks me.

Little ol' thrill-seeking, rich kid me with too much time and money on his hands turned self-styled Robin Hood crusading superhero, complete with sidekick? 'Course I knew how to fly!

Thought I was hot stuff, showing up some straight-laced USAF pilot with whom I happened to share a penchant for heroics and green costumes. Thought our similarities ended there.

So I get done takin' him up in my custom ride thinkin' I'm impressive with my zigzags and loop-de-loops. He tells me my flying is a joke, but complements Roy on his ability to hold our bird steady. The kid's grinning ear to ear, but I'm too busy feeling insulted. Didn't I teach the kid how to do that? Don't I deserve some credit? Fifteen years old and I've already taught Speedy how to handle a car and a boat as well as a plane. That's a year younger than I was when I "convinced" the Queen family pilot into teaching me to fly my family's private jet. So how dare this guy say I fly like some old biddy going to Sunday church! But when I try to bawl him out about it –

"You've never flown with me," Hal just says with a grin I'll never forget.

We go up again in the Arrowplane, this time with Hal at the controls, but not before he slides that green ring off his finger and I'm thinkin' I'll never figure this guy out. But Roy and I strap ourselves in and we keep going up, up, up!

Now:

Have to take us lower. Get in under the Mongolian radar. The others aren't as confident, but no way am I going to incite an international incident with the Chinese when foreign superheroes aren't even legally supposed to be here. But when has that even stopped the Bat before? So we go in. 'Sides, I can do this! No problem. A real ace taught me how.

Then:

Just as I'm about to pass out and I think I've turned my plane over to a crazy man, Hal lets out a whoop and I wonder where the hell did this person come from!?

Then I see them – the stars- and I get it! We're two men and a boy – flying- without wings or rings or the need of superpowered rays from a yellow sun. Touching the heavens! Reaching the realm of the gods in just a manmade bucket of bolts, riding straight and clean as a loosed arrow. We have no fear!

I've found my new best friend as I join his voice with a holler of joy to rival his – YEAH!

Roy tries to join in. He feels the excitement too, but he feels the queasiness even more as his lunch erupts all over my costume. Poor kid. He's still insisting he wants to fly as I try to clean him up and Hal takes us back down. But I know Roy didn't connect the same way Hal and I did back up in that sky.

Now:

HOLY HANNAH!

Still, any landing you can walk away from…I know the team is gonna grill me for crashin' the plane, but I brought my team in save and sound and I couldn't have done that without what Hal taught me.

I know what some of the other heroes call us – crazy action junkies, thrill-seekers with a death wish tryin' to keep up with the metas. I don't care if they don't get it, how he's always watchin' my back even when he's not there.

But then, they haven't flown with Hal, they've only flown with me.

Notes: My muses are back! Well, some of them anyway, Roy muse is being a bit difficult. I'm still working on your challenge Gottaluvit, it's coming, I promise. Anyway, guess which muse was shouting in my head. If you didn't say Hal Jordon, you don't get a cookie. ;-) Geoff Johns Green Lantern stories, which I've been reading lately, are amazing! I was inspired by that scene in No Fear where Hal takes Kyle up in the plane and I knew Hal had to have done the same with Ollie at some point. The Outsiders bit was icing on the cake. Denny's O'Neil's Hal was straight-laced and played off the differences of the Green Team, but John's Hal is just as much a daredevil as Ollie, and I don't think I've ever liked Hal more than the current GL run.


	12. Chapter 12: Blonde

Set sometime during Connor's brief tenure with the JLA.

Blonde

I know most people don't mean to stare. I also know they can't help it. I look different from everybody else. I'm blonde.

That may sound normal, but when you look like Tiger Woods, believe me, it's not. People notice, and they're not always nice, especially kids.

You wouldn't suspect it if you know me now, but I was an angry one.

For the longest time I didn't know who my father was, but I knew I'd inherited two things from him – my hair and my temper (or "anger management issues" as Mom always called it.)

I don't remember exactly how many kids I beat up or schools I went to in however many years, but it was a lot. I knew nothing about genetics or recessive genes back then except probably wishing Mom had a few less of them. I just remember wishing I could be anything but blonde.

Then one day Mom told me Dad was a superhero, but of course I couldn't tell anyone else about that. It was a secret. But for the first time, I wanted to be blonde and grew my hair like a badge of honor, not to mention Mom's hippy upbringing made her never really see the point of haircuts anyway. Sometimes, I even dreamed I was a redhead as I tagged along on imaginary adventures with Dad. The teasing got worse the older I got, but I stood up not just for myself at school, but the other kids who were different too, one more thing I got from Dad. It didn't matter who I was fighting for at that point though as far as the principal was concerned.

Still, I didn't mind shaving my head at the monastery, because for once in my life, no one cared what I looked like. I think I may have asked if they could shave off my light eyebrows too just to be thorough. Master Jansen told me I had my dad's sense of humor. He didn't realize at the time that my twelve-year-old self was being completely serious.

Now I'm in the JLA and they still stare, because I'm blonde. It's not because I'm different this time though, but because I remind them of my dad, the first Green Arrow. They try to hide it, but they don't know what to make of me sometimes, a teenager who looks every bit and nothing like Oliver Queen. Superman and Batman are the worst. Superman looks at me and gets a guilt trip expression from not having been able to save my dad while Batman tries to hide a smile whenever I do something particularly Ollie-ish. Often, I think Kyle's the only one who really sees me for me. I wonder what the others would think if I ever grew a beard?

Speaking of which, I don't think I've ever met anyone who knows how to flaunt blonde like Aquaman. Forget Dad's silly, refined goatee. Arthur has full on bushy, something I could never hope to achieve with my Asian heritage even if I wanted to. And his hair! Mom once told me Dad had long hair when they first met, but I don't think it was anything like this. I think it might be a contest to say who's is longer – Aquaman's or Wonder Woman's. I don't really see how he keeps it all back with just that headband or prevents drag in the ocean. But then Aquaman doesn't seem like the type of person who'd care what anyone thinks about what he looks like. He's every inch the king of Atlantis where everyone is probably just as regal and perfectly blonde as he is, but then I've never been to Atlantis.

I don't know why, but one day I ask Arthur about it. It scares me when he roars with laughter and I wonder if I've said something wrong. Then he tells me the story of his life, how he's considered "cursed" among his people all because of the color of his hair.

And I realize I've finally found someone like me who understands what it's like being blonde.

Notes: I've always had a soft spot for Aquaman, never read any of the comics though until recently. I'm really starting to dig his Peter David look. Anyway, Arthur being "cursed" stuck in my head and it seemed like a good bonding moment for him and Connor in light of some recent flashbacks involving Connor's childhood too, though I'm guessing a bit at Connor's exact age. Interesting how Mort Weisinger's two greatest comic book creations (Ollie and Arthur) are both hot blondes. Btw, I hear Geoff Johns is a fan of Arthur, if you let him write Aquaman DC I will read it, I promise. Bring back Arthur already DC and get Connor out of that coma!


	13. Chapter 13: Onomatopoeia

Not what you think. Another drabble. Mia's p.o.v. Learning archery is hard.

Onomatopoeia

Hrrrgh. Push. Push. Curve. Hrrgh. Push. Push. Slot! Sting! Phew!

SLIP!

Twang! Slap! Clatter!

"OW!"

Sigh.

Hrrrgh. HRRRGH! HRRGH! Push. Curve.

Slot!

Tug. Tug. Cheer!

Rustle. Rustle. Slide. Nock. Draw.

Huff. Huff. Draw.

Huff. Huff. Draw.

Huff. Huff. Hrrrgh! Hold.

Silence.

Twang! Zip! Slap!

"OW!"

Groan!

Rustle. Nock. Draw.

Huff. Huff. Draaaw.

Huff. Huff. Huff. Draaaaaaw.

Hold. Hold.

Release!

Twang! Zip! Slice! Twack!

"Ow!"

Nock. Draaaaaaw. Hold.

Twang! Zip! Slice! Twack!

"Ow Ow!"

Nock. Draaaaaaw. Hold.

Twang! Zip! Slice! Twack!

"Ow! Ow! Ow!"

ARRGH!

"Don't lock your left arm or grip up so high. Try again, kiddo." Wink.

Blush. "Thanks."

Notes: Rouge-Phoenix requested "more Mia" and I'm happy to oblige. The next one will be Mia focused too. This one came out of my own amateur archery injuries. In case you can't figure out what's going on because my sound effects completely suck (I know some of them aren't strict onomatopoeia, I tried) - it's Mia unable to string the bow, then suffering bow-slap/string burn on the arm (this is why Ollie and Co wear arm guards up to their elbows or biceps, very practical), then getting sliced on the hand by the fletchings (again archer's gloves, very helpful). The last one will still allow your arrows to hit the target (hence the twack) but can hurt like heck if you keep slicing your hand open in the same place five or six times before you correct it properly. Plus the sheer agony of trying to pull a longbow that Kevin Smith once showed Mia doing. My bow is a Ben Pierson American Flatbow/Recursive Hybrid and I only pull 26 pounds. I wonder what Mia pulls, but I bet it's a lot more than me, even though we're both short.


	14. Chapter 14: Alright by Her

Mia's pov, sometime after becoming Speedy.

Alright by Her

He says he's a lousy father.

He took in a boy, then abandoned him to the streets.

But I was living on the streets and he gave me a home.

He left his son to pursue a life of adventure.

But my adventurous life has purpose and direction thanks to him.

I know he's not perfect. He's made mistakes. But he wants to do better. Yet, all he sees are his failures.

He can only see the past, but **I'm** his present.

So how do I let him know he's a good dad?

And that he's doin' alright by me.

Notes: Another one for Rouge-Phoenix. Just some musings on Ollie and Mia's relationship and how he really has changed over the years. Ollie gets a lot of crap for his lousy parenting skills in his younger years and rightly so, but I think raising Mia's is a good example of doing things right this time around even if Ollie may not realize it himself.


	15. Chapter 15: What's in a Name?

A conversation between Speedy and Wonder Girl, sometime during Mia's tenure with the Teen Titans. But I leave it up to you to decide who speaks first.

What's in a Name?

"So I met this boy."

"Me too."

"Is he cute?"

"Yeah, yours?"

"Oh yeah. His muscles and his arms are just -"

"Huge? Like phone cables?"

"Uh huh. And the way he fights?"

"He can take down guys fast as lightning."

"One hit and bad guys don't see him coming."

"You're fast too."

"Don't forget what your codename is either."

"So what's his name?"

"Connor."

"Connor?"

"Yeah, Connor."

"No way! That's so totally unfair!"

"I can't believe we like the same guy. That sucks!"

"Totally. I'd hate to have you for a rival."

"Yeah, I was hoping we'd be friends."

"Wait a sec. Do you like Connor or do you like Conner?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you have a crush on Green Arrow or Superboy?"

"Oh, I get it! So you like -"

"And you like -"

"They have the same name. Just different spellings. That's confusing."

"Tell me about it. But what a relief that is."

"So, are you going to tell him you like him and make the first move?"

"Are you?"

Notes: Just fluff and a bit a of humorous dig at a message board pet peeve of mine. I know I've been confused more than once thanks to these superheroes having the same first name. Sorry if Wonder Girl's a bit OOC, I don't know too much about her, I was originally going to use Supergirl until I realized she liked Power Boy not Superboy. I tell you there're too many dang versions of Superman running around the DCU. Now that really is confusing! As for who talks first I was also experimenting so that the conversation could be read either way with either heroine starting. Let me know if I succeeded or was just confusing as well. ;-) I wasn't sure if I was even going to post this one, but I thought, what the heck. As you can tell, I am totally for Connor/Mia. Dodger irritates the heck out of me!

Hephaestus01 and Matt the Batman Fan - thank you so much! Glad to know you're enjoying these.

Gottaluvit - hope this cheers you up a little. More Roy on the way soon, I promise.

To everyone else reading these again thank you!


	16. Chapter 16: Another Place and Time

Set sometime during Roy's tenure with the JLA.

Another Place and Time

Ollie'd tried everything, but Lian wouldn't stop crying. He'd told her it wasn't real, that it didn't really happen that way. Lian wouldn't listen though. Ollie was on the verge of calling Roy and swallowing his pride when Roy walked through the door to find his bawling daughter sitting on the couch.

"What the hel-heck happened?" Roy swallowed his swearing and glared at Ollie while making a beeline for his daughter.

"She's…dead," Lian sniffed.

"Who?" Roy asked, fearing the worst as he saw Ollie's tear-stained face as well. He pulled Lian close, praying it wasn't Dinah.

"Mari…" Lian said and sobbed.

_Vixen? Oh God! How?_

"Marian," Lian choked out and pointed at the TV.

"What?" Roy blinked in confusion and saw the direction she pointed. His brow darkened and his gaze turned to Ollie over Lian's shoulder. "What did you let her watch? I have a list of shows -"

"It was only Robin Hood!" Ollie spread his hands, defensively. "How was I supposed to know they were going to kill Maid Marian!"

"They killed Maid Marian!?" Roy looked dumbfounded, but Ollie's nod and teary Lian, who started another round of sobs, were evidence enough.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It took another hour and Dinah coming over before Lian was calmed and convinced the "real" Marian wasn't dead and that what she'd seen on TV wasn't how it really happened. But how Dinah convinced Lian of that where both Ollie and Roy failed neither of them could figure out. She'd locked both out of Lian's room. An eavesdropping Ollie heard the words "last trip to England" and "pendant" before Roy had pulled him away for being nosy and back to the living room.

"How could they kill Marian?" Roy complained again. He was starting to sound like a broken record. His eyes wide like someone still in shellshock.

"I know! It's almost enough to make you grateful for -"

"Rating censorship warning?" Roy raised a baiting eyebrow.

"No!" Ollie sneered, offended by the very idea. "Internet spoilers. I knew I should have checked out why Griffiths was leaving. The first amendment could have helped us avoid this disaster. PG is just a nickname for a JSA member as far as I'm concerned."

Roy flopped down on the couch and stared at the ceiling. "That does it! From now on, my kid only watches the Disney movies."

"I tried to tell you this new version was -"

"I don't want to hear it," Roy held up a hand, too tired to argue with his old man, but he couldn't blame Ollie for what had happened tonight much as he wanted to. "What kind of world is it when they kill off the heroes on kids shows? It was never like this when I was a kid!"

"Oh, yeah?" A smile twitched at the corner of Ollie's mouth. "I remember having to console a sad little boy after Michael Praed -"

"They killed Robin Hood!" Roy blurted before looking embarrassed, blushing as scarlet as his hair. He threw a pillow at a smiling Ollie who caught it and sat down next to him with a laugh. "I can't believe you let me watch that."

"I always was an irresponsible parent, remember."

"And I swore I wouldn't do that to my kid."

"I also know what cheered you up that night."

"Errol Flynn!" They said in unison.

"I can do without the 'I told you so.' " Roy said as Ollie threw the pillow back at him.

"Wanna watch?" Ollie reached over and dug his favorite DVD out of Roy's collection on the nearly rack.

"Why not?" Roy sighed and smiled, knowing he wasn't going to win this one.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

And that was how Dinah found them, both asleep in front of the TV as the credits rolled. Roy slumped against Ollie, and Ollie with an arm around his son.

Yes, Robin and Marian were alive and well, their spirits living on, Dinah thought as she curled up in the nearby easy chair and dreamed of her life with Ollie in another place and time.

Notes: I'm baaaaaack! Novel's finally finished so I have time to write fics again, yea! Just a little something that I needed to vent about for while now that I'm still upset about. Sorry for the slight spoiler for anyone who still hasn't seen season two yet, but it has been over a year since it aired and I wanted to keep the suspense at the beginning. Curse you BBC! Can't we get through at least one Robin Hood series without killing anybody?!? And I really liked the new series too! Oh well, at least there's still Richard Greene…and Errol Flynn of course (btw the special feature on Ollie's hero Howard Hill on that DVD – amazing guy! Just amazing shooting!) But of course we all know who the "real" Robin and Marian are in the DCU thanks to GA Annual #4, co-written by none other than Robin of Sherwood's Nazir himself (aka Mark Ryan).


	17. Chapter 17: Hero or Villain?

Set during JLA: Cry for Justice #3, minor spoilers, Ollie's p.o.v. Another drabble. (I'll get to the infamous #5 very soon.)

"Hero or Villain?"

I cannot believe he asked that! And after she saved his life!

I guess it comes down to how you look at her. The media would have you believe she's dangerous. She herself would have us believe she's bulletproof.

But even people like her have weaknesses. It isn't kryptonite this time.

Maybe he can't see past the symbol she wears…or her chest. All I see is a too young, teenage girl who reminds me so much right now of my Mia.

And…aw, crap.

Pay no attention to the big green meanie, kid!

Smooth, Hal. Real smooth.

You made Supergirl cry!

Notes: Okay, okay, I know - what about Roy! I'll get to him, I promise. But I haven't read #5 quite yet. And this was a moment Cascioli's art really made me take notice of. I wanted to slap Hal for what he did. I'm a big fan of Supergirl, and of the mentor-ish role GA played for her in JLU. And with them both on the same team, I was glad to see a nice moment between them like that in the real DCU. Plus I have Kara on the brain after reading the Who is Superwoman trade, highly recommended btw.


	18. Chapter 18: Trail of Blood

Spoilers! Set during JLA: Cry for Justice #5. You have been warned. Congorilla/Congo Bill's p.o.v.

Trail of Blood

I smell him before I see him. Two scents.

The first one sets me like a bloodhound on the trail of the murderer I've followed halfway across the world. I have no time for conversation as I rush past what I sense is a Kryptonian woman, but I have no time to smell her out.

There are two scents in play and the trail of blood left by my quarry's victim is far stronger. Blood. Copper and bitter and overwhelming, it almost masks his unique signature – male, with a whiff of clear southwest skies and desert mixed with leather that bears similarities to another I know.

So close now…

**MY GOD!**

So much **red** –

From the garnet and ruby of his uniform to the strawberry of his hair, all overpowered by the rusty, scarlet stench dripping from the limb that is no longer there!

It's a dizzying sickness of sensation. I smell his shock. He's still unable to process it all as the red hero's consciousness spirals away into darkness.

We must act quickly! The Kryptonian woman is indeed like her famous brethren and makes herself useful by cauterizing the wound. With a frenzied growl, I sound the battle alarm! The animal in me – that I am – takes over.

I do not know this young archer, but I know of him, his clan. I was once a mentor of sorts to his own. I smell the connection in the scent of animal hide and dye, but also in the veins they share deeper than blood, the bond of hunters. If the red hero is the desert heat, earthly like clay, and open as the sky in temperament, the other is green like the forest – vividly growing and lively, sheltering like the rain, but also dangerous with hidden depths.

A danger sense that is on full alert as the green hero pushes past the gathering crowd calling his cub's name.

Roy. It is a good name.

Queen and his kingly son.

I know this moment. I have seen it before in young Oliver's emerald eyes. Hard to believe the boy I knew has grown into the brawny man before me. Then at my age, everyone is young to me. Time is frozen, though as we are both taken back for an instant to Africa. I was there with him the day Robert and Moira Queen died.

I was still only a man back then, just Congo Bill. I did not have the abilities I do now in my present form to smell emotions. But I recognize the same shock and disbelief in Oliver, even without my heightened senses, as he cradles his wounded son in a pool of blood like he did his parents. He is trapped, like the little boy he was that day, as past and present collide, feeling helpless to save the ones he loves.

Animals. Only an animal could do this. Mutilate like this. Tear open and rip asunder, without explanation, leaving bleeding, draining, dying. But animals always have a reason. Protect and survive.

Man is the invader, as my curse has taught me.

The death of the Queens was an act of nature. We dared encroach on the lions' territory. It was a tragedy to be sure! But in the end, even though we meant no harm, there was no one to blame but myself. I was their guide that day and I led them astray. Such was the arrogance of the man I was back then.

Now, I know the difference between animal and man, and between man and monster. I am both of the former, such is my unique state, but never the latter, despite what my appearance invites people to think.

Monsters are the ones who mutilate without explanation that neither animal nor true hunter can conceive. They do it not to survive, but because it brings them pleasure, because they feel superior.

A monster did this to Roy! A monster murdered my mate, my clan, my friends! Monsters must be hunted and brought to justice!

But the worst thing about monsters is how they tempt others to become as they are - killers. We fear the darkness inside us and our own capacity for violence. I remember young Oliver, afraid to use his bow that day in Africa against another living thing until it became a matter of his own survival. I remember how Mik pulled me back from going to far myself on our journey here. The gentle souls of my clan would not wish for vengeance.

Still, I burn as red as the spilled blood I have seen, wanting to see justice done. It is all I can do to keep my own wounded heart cauterized from my own pain.

It's Oliver's mate who stirs him to action. His scent may be the forest after the rain, but hers is cool like the summer wind whistling in the night mixed with blazing neon. There is a pulse to her like a steel girder, sturdy and steady, yet in perfect vibration with the beat of a city…or her lover's heart. She is Oliver's pillar of strength. Roy, she reminds him, is still alive.

I know she hears the cry for justice. The sound resonates in the air between all of us. The monster's scent is fainter, but still lingers. We will follow it and not allow it to go cold.

In the name of the League, justice will be done!

Notes: Poor Roy! Poor, poor, poor, poor Roy! How could they! And did the reveal have to be that gratuitous!? Still, I guess shocking is better than boring in the world of comics, because I am admittedly exited to see what comes next. This having been the first time since the price jump I'm picked up GA (and CfJ). I have to admit the Robinson arc is good. I have faith in Krul too at the moment to pull of this Rise/Fall thing. As for the question - why use Congorilla!? I admit, I don't know much about this character so if his voice sounds off I apologize. But as I hope this chapter points out, he does have an important if little known connection to Ollie. Bill is to Ollie what Leslie Thompkins was to Bruce the night his parents died. I hope Krul knows of this connection and uses it at some point. Plus, it just seemed a little too obvious to use Ollie's p.o.v. again. I'll get to him in coming chapters, but in that moment of shock at seeing Roy, Congo Bill really offered a better chance at introspection, until we get some more resolution in the next couple issues.


	19. Chapter 19: Pointing at Rainbows

More fallout from Cry for Justice #5. Slightly AU since we don't know what happens next yet, but I figure this moment could easily fit somewhere in those last two issues. Ollie's p.o.v.

Pointing at Rainbows

Lian's waiting for his call. Every night, wherever in the world Roy is.

He won't be making that call tonight. It falls to me now. And it's already very late.

All I have to do is press one on the speed dial. My gloved thumb brushes over a crusty flake of Roy's dried blood left on his phone from…when we found it lying next to…

WHAT THE HELL DO I SAY TO HER? There are no words.

* * *

"Would ya look at that, kiddo!"

I remember the last time I took Lian to the park for a picnic. It had been raining nonstop for days. We'd both been dying to get outside.

"Don't point, Gran'pa!" Lian grabbed my hand protectively in both of hers, suddenly standing between me and my view of the sky.

"Hey, princess. Okay, so it's impolite, I get it. But don't you think you're going overboard. It's only a rainbow. See!"

I raised my other hand, but Lian gave me this horrified look, so I settled for jerking my head at the object in question. Man, what had her so spooked?

"It's not just a rainbow, Gran'pa! I don't want you to lose your fingers! You need them." She gave me her sternest look and tightened her grip on my hand. Ouch! My own eyes widened and gave her a quizzical look. "Didn't you daddy teach you anything about rainbows?"

Apparently not. Oh, wait, I get it! This must be some Navajo thing.

"The things my daddy taught me about rainbows usually involved pots of gold at the end of them. Are you saying I shouldn't take the pot of gold or the rainbow will get angry?" I gave her a playful smile.

"No, Gran'pa," Lian sighed at me deadly serious. "A real rainbow gets angry cuz you insult its beauty when you point at it. I don't want it to punish you! Sometimes the rainbow, if it's in a good mood, will only break your finger. If it's really mad, it could take your whole hand away!" She lectured me as well as any school teacher.

"Well, thank you, kiddo. Looks like you saved me just in time. I promise I'll treat the rainbow with the proper respect from now on."

Satisfied, Lian finally released my hand that was starting to throb.

"Shall we look for that pot of gold then?"

"Silly, everyone knows that's just a legend."

"Now you insult my heritage, _ban phrionnsa._ Robin Hood once stole such a pot of gold to feed a whole village for the winter. And then there was that leprechaun gangster your dad and I once foiled. Let me tell you about that…"

* * *

Yeah, I'll tell Lian that Roy pointed at a rainbow...a really big one. That's how I'll break it to her.

_Beep_

"Hello, Harper residence. Mia speaking."

"Hello?"

"Hello??"

I can't…how the hell do I…? There are no words.

_Klik_

Rainbows only come out after a storm. And right now the dryness of my throat gives way to a sob and the tears in my eyes that won't stop raining for a long time.

Notes: Tried to do some research on Navajo legends on the net. This was the closest I could find to what I was looking for, but I think it works okay. _Ban phionnsa_ is Gaelic for princess, I wanted Ollie to have an equivalent to Roy's Navajo pet name for Lian. And special points if you know what misheard song lyric the "leprechaun ganger" refers to.

Next time, probably something happier.


	20. Chapter 20: Home Cooking

Random fluff, set sometime after Quiver. Ollie's p.o.v.

Home Cooking

If you can't stand to heat…get out of my kitchen!

I've been accused of everything from trying to napalm Hal to inventing the perfect weapon to combat Captain Cold.

They should know by now, with the exception of Connor's veggie variety, I'm not changing my recipe for anyone!

My friends lovingly mock my chili obsession. They don't get how it's more than my favorite recipe.

It was a final gift from my mother.

It's her legacy I'm keeping alive. I had a lot growing up. Funny, how little things like this last and mean the most.

Now, dig in everybody!

Notes: Something lighter like promised. We don't know much about Ollie's parents, but the little we do know explains his character well in how he remembers them. I like how Ollie's chili obsession goes beyond simple favorite food as GA: Secret Files suggests.


	21. Chapter 21: Why?

**Spoilers** for Cry for Justice #7. **You have been warned!** Some language. Ollie's pov

Why?

I might have done it for revenge…for the 90,000 who lost their lives… Or the one…who meant more to me than a sea of nameless faces.

I might have done it because I'm Star City's Protector – it's Hero – it's **Hunter… **Or because I'm a grieving grandfather who doesn't know what to tell his crippled son if – **when** – he wakes up.

Maybe I did it so he doesn't have to… To keep his conscience clean and from losing his soul along with everything else that was taken from him… Because I'm **Roy****'s** protector.

Maybe I just selfishly wanted to see Prometheus **die!**

Maybe I did it for all of the above. Does it really matter **why? **

**The bastard is dead! **

And don't tell me you're sorry I killed him, but are glad that he's gone! **Hypocrites!**

Maybe I did it because it was the only thing left that I could do that made any sense after we'd failed so badly…

**"JUSTICE IS AN ARROW!" ****That's **why!

Notes: I was too in shock to write anything at first, but now I'm just mad!

Why Lian, DC? Why?!? You had my money up till that point, but not anymore! I was even willing to maybe give it a try beyond that if the new writer was any good, the Blackest Night issue was promising, but the first two issues of Rise and Fall so far have left me cold with their hypocritical attitudes and Barry totally OOC when he's dissing his old **friend** Ollie, not to mention the mess Connor is now since the end of Winick's run. At least Mia is sticking by Ollie which is more than I can say for Dinah, y'know his **wife **who's killed before herself and to save Ollie no less. I'm not saying that Ollie Queen: Murderer is necessarily right, but the execution (forgive the pun) feels like a bad rehash of the Grell Years with **no one even trying** to understand poor Ollie's pov when he's just been to hell and back.


	22. Chapter 22: Hobbled

Ollie's musings at Roy's bedside during Rise of Arsenal #1. Rated T for swearing.

Hobbled

I can still remember the pain of dying. A yellow blast obliterating every cell in my body, hotter than the white light that awaited me on the other side. Blinded! Burst apart! Nothing remained! My choice!

There aren't many who can claim to have gone out cursing Superman. He thought he could 'save' me. What he offered was my living nightmare. I could never have lived, hobbled. I would have rather died!

So I did.

Now my Roy is…

They don't understand, any of them. Sure they try, but none of them knows, not a one. They can't!

But I do.

Roy and I, from the moment we met, were brothers of the bow. We spoke a language all our own.

Tall as the sky. Rooted like stone. Flexible as water. We always knew which was the wind was blowing. It could be our fiercest friend or greatest foe.

We were long, wooden birds, perched with our fletchings a breath away from tickling our cheek, held only by patience and muscle coated in leather. Our sharp steel-headed beak sought out prey with the eyes of the eagle, waiting –

To strike!

Release! Everything we are –

Free to fly! In that timeless moment –

Glorious perfection!

I tell you, you never forget it! Muscles trained til it's imprinted on everything – our fingertips, tendons, sinews – racing down to our very heart –

The soul of the archer!

Until that connection was cut off!

A phantom limb. Brain commanding, but no obeying. Sending out, but not receiving. A shadow that cannot grasp. Every movement reminding you that you are now a broken bow with your string forever snapped.

How do they expect my son to live like that!?

They'll offer him a shiny new replacement, try to say he's a good as new.

Bullshit!

Metal has no memory. No feeling. No soul!

Roy was every bit as good as I was! Hell, maybe better, though I'd never admit it.

Now we'll never know.

I only pray he's stronger than me too. He always has been. I hope he finds a reason to go on.

Lian would have been that reason. Not anymore.

Prometheus didn't just hobble an archer, but our whole family, our entire city! I'll make sure the damn bastard pays for this, son! I swear it!

Fight Roy! We've lost so much already, but I could never take losing you as well!

Notes: I've wanted to touch on this angle of what happened to Roy for a while. Some people are claustrophobic or agoraphobic, I suffer from a near phobia of amputation. I've never been able to identify the scientific name for it. It's not logical, but I've had it since childhood. And while it's diminished over the years, I still feel a strong connection with characters like Ollie for this very reason, and completely understand his choosing death than living incomplete, especially given that the essence of whom he is bound up in his archer's identity. Roy is different though. I look forward to see him **living** with his injury. While I hated the ham-fisted way it was done, I guess you could say the morbid fascination is what kept me reading Rise of Arsenal #1. I swore I was done with this Rise/Fall stuff, but Krul made Roy's pain so real in that issue, that I finally got the satisfying emotional impact this series has been lacking so far, that I think I'll stick around, even though I was literally afraid to turn the page about 3 times for fear of knowing what was coming. I hope Ollie ends up being the one to there for Roy to help him back into the light. It would be a marvelous redemption moment for both of them.

Plus going a full Robin Hood outlaw angle for Ollie in Brighest Day has me squeeing to no end. Just don't get me started on the break-up with Dinah, another disaster of editorial dictated OOC garbage!

And this notes section has been getting way too long recently. They're getting longer than the fics. I'll cut it back down, I promise.


	23. Chapter 23: Best Friend

Events of Fall of GA from Hal's pov. Minor swearing.

Best Friend

Ollie was too quiet when he visited Roy. I knew something was wrong. I should have known then what he was planning or suspected at least. Some kind of cop I am if I can't prevent my best friend from committing murder.

But it's more than that. I've been there were he was, when Coast City was destroyed. Parallax was in control of my actions, sure, but it was my rage that fueled it. If Parallax hadn't been there, would I really have done any different, at least as far as killing Mongul was concerned? A lot of "deaths" haunt me from that time, but not his. What does that say about me?

That I have no right to judge. That I'm torn between duty and hunting down my best friend. I formed this new team to be proactive. For justice. We failed. It took Ollie to be the one to put it into practice in such a way that I'm not sure I know exactly what the line is between justice and vengeance anymore.

Barry sees it so black and white. It's easy for him. He hasn't been around for what Ollie and I have been through. I wish I had his clarity. Barry can't stand Ollie right now. Not because he hates him, like he claims (I know Barry better than that), but because he's so disappointed, not just in Ollie's actions, but in the state of the world he's been reborn into. I'm sorry Barry. We've made it a helluva mess instead.

Bary's right about one thing. We have to stop Ollie. But our reasons aren't the same.

I know what happens when Ollie starts leaving a trail of bodies behind. I was the last person he killed with that bow. The legacy of Parallax again. I owe it to Ollie not to let him become that person again.

He didn't even join my team because he believed in what I was proposing. He did it because he knew I was headed for trouble and did it to watch my back, even though he knew he'd get hell for it from Dinah. I couldn't ask for a more loyal friend. Now it's my turn to repay that debt.

Guess we didn't need to be hunting the hunter after all. He turned himself in. Barry wondered how many kids Ollie had "corrupted" since his absence. I said only one, but this new girl, Mia, seems to be Ollie's saving grace. I'd say she's corrupting him into being a better mentor.

If only Barry could have seen Roy as Red Arrow. I think he'd get it. I couldn't have been prouder and I was only his "uncle." Ollie was fit to burst. I remember when Roy showed me his pictures of Lian. She was huge! All grown up into a happy five-year-old from the baby I had known, and he called me her uncle. Okay, granduncle if you want to split hairs, (way to make me feel old, Roy), but it was a real honor Roy considered me part of his family.

Prometheus murdered my grandniece! Barry and Jay's cities were almost the next to go. I thought of Iris, Wally, Linda, and the twins. Coast City was on the list. I thought of Carol, my brother Jim, and his kids. What happened to Lian could have just as easily happened to them, to our cities. Disaster was avoided because Ollie rallied us to save the most lives possible. That is the GA I know and admire.

Still, I really should have known it wasn't over. It's why I still wanted Ollie to be part of the reformed JLA. We all wanted Prometheus. Ollie's always been selfish that way. Yet, I don't feel sorry Prometheus is dead. I sleep better at night knowing there's one less psychovillain out there.

The trial was…I guess it's a no surprise to say Prometheus wouldn't have gotten any kind of fair trial in this city had he lived. Star City's been through so much crap, they found GA not guilty. I don't know he deserved it, but it's gratifying to see the inspiration Star City has in Green Arrow. I remember the lights shining in every window in Coast City proclaiming they had no fear. I wasn't sure I deserved it either.

Yet, everyone deserves a second chance at redemption. It'd be egotistical to say it was just about us though. It was about our homes taking a stand and saying enough was enough! But Ollie's on third or fourth chances with some people. Dinah wasn't at the trial. I guess she took her stand and said enough too.

I don't know what they argued about this time, but Ollie showed me the ring she threw back in his face. The one made from an old diamond-headed arrow and an old Flash ring Barry once gave his friend Ollie. (One way I know he doesn't hate him.) Dinah's engagement ring. Not her wedding ring. Maybe she just needs time to come to terms with what he did. I don't think it was the killing. Ollie's a man who would kill for her, and has, and she knows it. Maybe he just lied and played the lone wolf one time too many. Ollie never does anything small, I'll give him that.

And I thought they'd been doing so well. I know she still loves him and that Ollie puts all the blame on himself again. But the truth is Dinah is independent with as many commitment issues. Ollie can't or won't see her faults, another lie he tells himself. She's his perfect Pretty Bird. Ollie says he doesn't deserve her, that Dinah deserves better, but I have to wonder sometimes if he doesn't deserve better too.

I can't believe this was the right time for her to abandon him like that. That's not the Dinah I know. Isn't Star City her home too? I'm sure Mia could use her motherly guidance right about now, if nothing else.

Maybe it's none of my damn business. But I know Ollie's biggest fault is that he can never admit when he needs help, the self-reliant ass! I think he's surprised even Star City stuck by him. He doesn't realize the hope he inspires is real, not just his imaginative ego, or that some of us are just as stubborn as he is.

Me, I'm going to stick around whether Ollie wants it or not, 'cause I know he'd do the same for me. After all, isn't that what best friends are for?

Notes: Just trying to make some sense of the Fall of GA, and how badly some of it was done. Through it all though, Hal was there to support Ollie, just like a true best friend should, and a saving grace to read about. He's more loyal than Dinah right now, that's for sure. He seemed the perfect pov to use. One of the best friendships in comics ever!


	24. Chapter 24: Outlaw

Ollie's pov. Drabble set during GA#1 preview. No real spoilers though.

Outlaw

I hate it when they call me Robin Hood.

But there's a simplicity to the forest that reminds me of who I really am. No double life. No domestic life. Just me.

Alone.

Not my choice. Or is that just another lie I tell myself? I chose my path that led me to this outcome.

Exile.

While I weep for all I have lost, part of me knows what I did was right. This forest is where I belong. I'm at peace here.

Home.

An outlaw who has nothing left to lose.

I'm Green Arrow and this is my Sherwood!

Notes: June 23 cannot come fast enough. New preview looks awesome! I really hope this new direction is worth it after all that's happened, but I LOVE the Robin Hood angle. Love it! Love it!

Hmm, might have to do something special for the 25th chapter coming up. Any requests/ideas, let me know.


	25. Chapter 25: Who is Green Arrow?

A fanfic challenge from Thowell3. Flash (Barry's) pov concerning the events of CfJ/Rise/Fall sometime during the chase/hunt through Star City to stop Ollie.

Who is Green Arrow?

I used to think I knew. Oliver Queen was my friend. We haven't always gotten along, but Ollie was a guy you could always trust to tell you the truth. At least the truth as he saw it, whether you wanted to hear it or not. I may not have always agreed with his pov, but I respected the honesty of what he had to say.

The person I see now is a liar! To his friends…to his wife…to our faces!

All for what? Revenge?

Believe it or not, I do know how that feels. I've done some things out of fear and grief I wish I could take back. Killing Professor Zoom for one. One moment of anger and abuse of my powers. I would never be the same. Yet, I hoped my friends would learn not to do what I did from my bad example.

I turned myself in to let due process decide my fate. If I hadn't, I would have been as bad as those I fight. And I know which member of the JLA would have been calling me out the loudest as a hypocrite if I hadn't back in the day. Once, he even shared with me, over some of that inedible chili, his own regrets over the one time he had accidentally taken a life and checked into an ashram to get his head back on straight. Straight as an arrow as Ollie ever was that is (ha ha), but I knew where he was coming from back then. How stupid is a boxing glove arrow until you learn it's an alternative so you don't skewer someone in the head. The man was something of a genius that way when it came to inventive gadgets of non-lethality, just like Bruce.

Which makes what we found that much worse! Skewered was exactly how we found Prometheus. Dead, not from a crime of passion which one might expect from our hotheaded archer. That I could understand, even if I couldn't excuse it. But this! Revenge served cold and carefully contemplated. And then to lie about it to everyone, so he had time to kill even more.

When did Green Arrow become a cold-blooded murderer?

Long before this, if what Hal told me is true. The killing spree started in Seattle. Since then, Ollie's been from death to life again, not unlike me. Time's up on second chances this go around. Coming back means you don't get to make the same mistakes twice. (Seems Dinah agrees with me for her own, more personal reasons.)

Ollie even once killed Hal, my own best friend! It's sickening to see Hal try to defend any part of this, saying he was just as bad, even worse, when he was Parallax. Sorry Hal, but I've been under enough villain and alien mind control over my many years with the JLA (Starro anyone?) to know when a person isn't responsible for their own actions. And my best friend is not a killer! I can't say the same of your so-called other BFF. How can he even be friends with that guy anymore?

So now I hate Green Arrow – for what he's become, for what he's made Hal think of himself, for corrupting his new sidekick to share in his crimes, for the scary thought that maybe I've never known the real Oliver Queen at all.

Has the world gone mad in the time I've been gone? It's not the first time I've wondered since my return.

It doesn't matter though. We heroes still have to stand for justice! If we do something wrong, we are beholden to the law just like everyone else. I don't know if the world has gotten more dangerous or not, but it's a lie to say it's gotten more complicated. Ollie unknowingly gave Prometheus exactly what he wanted, to turn us into murderers like him. Worst of all, I don't know if I can ever trust him again.

Heroes don't kill. They don't lie to each other. GA crossed the line! It's my responsibility as a Leaguer and a cop to bring him in. It's that simple. That is justice!

Notes: Couldn't resist the title for this chapter. This one took a while to organize my thoughts. After my last few chapters, the last thing I expected was to get a challenge to defend OOC Barry. But it proved to be a welcome writer's challenge and I liked the chance to try and see thing from the other pov. Hope this is to your liking Thowell3 and things for all your ideas. Guess I'm not as done with Rise/Fall as I thought. I have one or two more to vent over the Arsenal conclusion (including Mia's thoughts). Ugh, horrible ending to the mini series! At least, the new Young Justice cartoon preview shows normal Roy.


	26. Chapter 26: Failure

Team Arrow's pov. Set at various points during Rise/Fall. Rated PG for some language.

Failure

Mia:

I failed her!

Lian was _my_ responsibility!

And I abandoned her! Left her to die!

I thought it was just your average supervillain attack. I wanted to keep Lian safe. Lead the bad guy away from her, away from the house,…

How could I possibly know that…

(Sob)

I w-was too f-far away when – I c-couldn't get to her…

I should have been there with her! I should have died protecting her, telling her in those last moments everything would be all right.

Roy was right! I don't deserve to be Speedy!

Not when I can't save one little girl.

Dinah:

I failed to see the warning signs…and how they would tear my family apart.

I failed to see Ollie's selfish desire for revenge.

But he failed to confide in me. Me! His wife!

I failed to see Mia following in his footsteps.

He failed to anticipate me throwing my ring back in his face. A failed marriage.

I failed to see how much Star City values Green Arrow. I failed to be at his trial.

We were so busy, wrapped up in ourselves that we failed to see what Roy was becoming.

So who do we blame for this failure?

Roy:

LIAAAAAAAAAAN!

My eati yazi!

I FAILED YOU!

Lian...

Ollie:

I failed him!

How could I fail him so badly again?

I thought I was doing the right thing.

Damnit!

Killing Prometheus – for Roy, for Lian.

Now he hates me for taking his revenge.

Sparing Electrocutioner – for Mia.

So she didn't become a murderer.

Saving one Speedy only to fail another! Damned no matter what choice I make! Blamed for being a flamin' hypocrite!

Would it have made any difference if I had killed Electrocutioner when I had my first chance?

Revenge fails to bring back those we lost - the dead, and those who just wish they were…

Roy…

Connor:

We failed Star City!

And what does the rest of my family do? They focus on revenge.

I have no time for it. There is nothing I can do for the dead now.

I choose to focus on the living! Many still survive, buried under rubble, needing our help.

Maybe it's selfish of me not to be with my family when it's falling apart. But I fail to know who I am anymore.

Maybe, the best way for to find myself again is by just doing what I can for the survivors.

I cannot fail to lend them my aid.

Notes: This is pretty much the end of my fics on Rise/Fall. I like using the same format I did in chapter 7 to get everybody in. Wow, could Rise of Arsenal #4 have sucked any more and it had to gall of being "to be continued!" too. What a waste! So much for my vain hope that we'd have a wonderful Ollie and Roy father/son style redemption moment (might have to make my own AU fic of that for my piece of mind). But I'm ready to move on now and write my own GA story where none of this junk ever happened to begin with, see my GA: Night Before the End of the World fic if you want to know where it will be going. (I do like the new GA ongoing though, the ONLY good thing to come out of this horrible mess.)


	27. Chapter 27: Hero, Smallville Universe

Set in the Smallville universe during the 200th episode during Ollie's follow up press conference. Minor Spoilers.

Hero

I didn't think he'd come.

I didn't think it mattered. Why would I need his advice? I'd made my decision to "come out" as a hero. So why don't I feel like one?

But the camera is on. The world is waiting for my answer. No turning back now. So why do I freeze like the prey, not the hunter.

Then I see him.

The target is still on my back, but their aim is wide of the mark. I fire back.

"I am a hero!"

It's not just about believing in something, but standing up for it.

Thanks, Clark.

Notes: Wow, Ollie's speech is a wonderful GA moment, and no I'm not going to spoil it all here. If you haven't watched this episode, even if you're not a regular Smallville viewer, shame on you, go see it now! Best season ever! (And BC is return for an ep or two, dare I hope for a GA/BC first kiss before the end of this season?)


	28. Chapter 28: Happy Endings, Smallville U

Set many, many years after the end of Smallville? Maybe. Very minor spoliers for the series finale.

In Honor of Happy Endings

"Tell me a story, Daddy!"

"Alright, which one would you like to hear tonight?" Roy sat on the edge of Lian's bed.

Lian looked at her shelf of books and frowned. None of them felt right. "One about superheroes!"

"That's a lot of possibilities. How about how I met Green Arrow?"

Lian shook her head.

"The forming of the Justice League?"

"Heard it!"

"I know! How about that strange incident that happened on Granpa Ollie and Grandma Chloe's wedding?"

"That one's boring!"

"Then what? And don't tell me it's the one where Superman saved the world from Darkseid. I've told it five times this month. I don't think I can take it anymore!" Roy held up a dramatic arm to his head like a diva actress in a half-joking manner.

"Silly, Daddy. It's a good story!"

Roy sighed and prepared to recite the all too familar tale about how the Blur first revealed himself to the world as Superman. But Lian's eyes lit up then, thinking of a different idea.

"Wait, Daddy. I know what story I really want. "I want to hear about how you, and Granpa, and Uncle Connor and the Justice League stopped Prometheus from destroying Star City!"

Roy exhailed with relief and ruffled his daughter's hair. "Now that, etai yazi, is a story I'd like to hear too!"

* * *

Notes: What a lovely finale! Thank you Smallville for many years of enjoyment! My husband, who only watched the last ten minutes, said after it was over, "That was better than the end of the Sopranos." And he's a big Sopranos fan. Also, I like to think that somewhere in the future of this continuity Ollie did meet Roy and Lian was born and only the good stuff from the recent comics happened in this universe. After all, that's what AU's are for. This fic was obvious inspired by the opening and closing scenes of the finale where Chloe was reading to her son with Ollie apropriately named Connor. And while Smallville never fullfilled Ollie/Dinah, I quite like that we got Chloe/Oliver for this universe anyway.


End file.
